Destructiveness and potential to transmit tomato spotted wilt virus by Scirtothrips dorsalis hood

• Main Authors: Reyes, Cecilia P., Talens, Angelita D.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 1999
• Subjects: Scirtothrips; Tomato spotted wilt virus disease; Virus diseases of plants; Entomology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/8776
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study aimed to determine the degree of destructiveness of larvae and adults of Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood on leaves of pepper and their potential to acquire and transmit tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), a devastating viral disease of numerous crop plants in many countries which at the present time has no available chemical control. The degree of destructiveness of first and second larval instars and adults of Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood was evaluated under laboratory condition using a researcher made rating scale. Statistical analysis of data showed that the twenty four-hour feeding damage of adult thrips on leaves of pepper was not significantly different from the damage of control insects, adult aphids Myzus persicae (Sulzer), which are well known for their damage to plants and thrips nearest relatives. Moreover, the feeding damage of second instar larvae was found not significantly different from the damage of adult thrips and first instar larvae at 5% level by DMRT, Double Anti-body Sandwich - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA) conducted immediately on larvae and adult thrips exposed to TSWV infected plants for twenty four hours and to indicator plants yielded negative results. This probably imply that DAS-ELISA can not detect TSWV assayed immediately after twenty four hours of acquisition feeding Accumulation of TSWV N protein over time and throughout the developmental stages of S. dorsalis following the acquisition feeding of first instar larvae on TSWV infected indicator plants was not monitored due to limited funds. S. dorsalis's potential to act as vector of TSWV, therefore, remains to be investigated.